What Lurks Beyond
by Zo One
Summary: Sometimes there is more to a beast than meets the eye. Alfred is torn between doing what's right by the world and what's right for himself. AU; Snake!Arthur x Human!Alfred UKUS
1. Part 1

**What Lurks Beyond**

_Part One_

"Alfred, honey, I have the best news for you!" his mother sang out as she swept into the room, dramatically as usual. He looked up from his text, just briefly enough to see what clothes she wore, before looking back at the scribbled letters and astrological diagrams, trying to figure out where exactly they had gotten their numbers and in what manner they applied them. Not that his mother would approve of his hobby, star-gazing. She never approved of anything unless it made them a lot of money. "Alfred dear, are you listening to me?"

"Yes," he answered reflexively, finally shutting the leather-bound book gingerly and setting it aside.

She watched him with almond shaped blue eyes, her rich honey colored hair done up into an intricate bun that was more baffling to Alfred than the numbers in his astronomy text. "I have news!" she repeated, her hands moving to clasp above her chest as she sighed. "The best kind of news, too, oh Alfred I'm so proud and happy for you! I really am!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked finally, feeling nervous and scared. His mother was only happy in the same ways that made him very _un_happy.

His mother grinned, forcing her skirts to swish a little in her excitement. "I've set up your marriage today! Do you remember Veronique? The girl who lives in that mansion in the hills? A glorious place that is – oh! I spoke with her father today, handsome man… Ah, and we've arranged for you and Veronique to be married!"

Alfred stared in disbelief, but his mother seemed so pleased with herself and he knew for a fact she wouldn't lie about something as _preposterous_ as that. "Mother!" he cried, standing from his chair, his hands were shaking from raw feeling and nausea at the idea. "Veronique is _twelve_! Twelve! I'm _twenty_! That's eight years!"

"Oh, don't worry about that dearest! Of course you won't be married officially until she is fifteen, but until then, she is your fiancée. And my, what a dowry she comes with…"

"What…?" Alfred fell back into his chair, silent and unbelieving. His mother had arranged his marriage for money, even after she promised she would never do such a thing – how did she even pull it off? Everyone in the town knew she was money hungry… And to arrange a wedding to the richest girl for miles… He sighed, suddenly feeling cold and disgusting. He didn't even want to get married – not to a woman, and certainly not to a little girl. "Why… why didn't you have her marry Matthew?"

She huffed. "Please, Alfred, don't drag that one into our conversation. This is about you and how happy I am for you! Oh and there is something I forgot to mention…"

His heart felt as if it were about to stop in his chest, his hands gripping at the wooden table in front of him harshly, as if he were to let go, then the ground below him would swallow him up. "And… what might that be?" he dared to ask.

"I may have let it slip that you were trying for a command post within the guard." She smiled, sickening and sweet. "So perhaps you should try harder from now on during duty! And stop reading those silly books! Leave things like that to your sister Matthew."

"Brother, mother! Matthew is your _son_," Alfred griped, for what was probably the millionth time over the course of his lifetime.

His mother only shrugged, uncaring. "My apologies, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference."

Alfred stood up, pulling his mother to the doorway of his small, kept home – which turned out to be not far enough away as he had first thought. Forcefully he kissed his mother on each cheek before opening the door and pushing her outside. "I love you, Mother," he nearly shouted to her, "That is great news indeed but I need to get ready. Thank you for the visit." And with that he slammed the door shut.

It wasn't the first time he felt like his entire life had been ruined by one, three minute conversation with his mother, nor did he ever believe it would be the last. Instead, he gathered up his supplies; leathers, sheaths and a few books to keep him occupied during his shift, and headed out for the guard's barracks on the far end of town.

* * *

The barracks were drafty and smelled of rotting pine. A few of the other town guards greeted him as they began to leave, their shift ending as his started. It was a boring routine and he strapped on his leathers over a chainmail shirt. Nothing beyond bar fights and the occasional robbery ever happened in the town, especially less so at night when everyone locked their doors and latched their windows in fear of bad omens. In his opinion, it was a dull place to be a guard with little room for advancement.

He buckled on the iron shoulder and shin guards, his military issued sword at hanging low at his side. "Ready for another thrilling night?" another soldier asked him, clapping him on his shoulder guards loudly.

Alfred grimaced. "Yeah, you know it," he grumbled, picking up a set of the barrack keys before beginning to head out. The other guard followed him, whistling obnoxiously to himself as they went. They stationed themselves at the main gate entrance, relieving the current guards with limp, unexcited waves.

"Hey Gilbert," Alfred said after two candles had burned down to the end of their wicks. Gilbert scarcely looked up from his solitary card game. Alfred knew the man to be a rarity, pale as snow with hair to match. The whole reason he had taken the night shift was due to his discomfort in the sun. Not that it bothered Alfred; he would rather have company on the long, empty nights. "How old are you, anyway?"

Gilbert scoffed slightly. "Why? Do you think I'm too old to do my job or something? I'll have to remind you that the captain is fifty-five and I'm sure he'd kick your ass anyway – not mine though, Yao is only Captain because I let him be."

Alfred stumbled around for words for a brief second, caught off guard by the twisted answer that Gilbert snapped off at him. "Uh! N-no…? I mean, what? Uhh… I was just asking out of curiosity!" He huffed, subconsciously biting his tongue from embarrassment over his tied-tongue. "And a lot of the other guards say I'm too young, so it would be fair."

"Right, right, fine whatever. I'm thirty-two. Feel better now?" Gilbert stared down at his placed cards, moving one or two about with a sigh. "Why can't the alehouse be open this late at night? Damn…"

"You can't drink on shift anyway." Alfred stared out the small, stone cut window of the guard's roost within the main gates. "What about Elizaveta? You're older than her, right? Is it a huge age gap?"

With a massive put-upon sigh, Gilbert threw the cards in his hand onto the tabletop. "Okay, I'll bite. What's this about?"

He shifted uncomfortably for a moment, finally deciding to take the chair on the opposite side of the table as Gilbert. "My mother," he started, trying to keep the distaste from his voice as he did so, "arranged my marriage." His hands fell onto his knees, gripping at the leather straps that held his shin guards in place. "It's to Veronique."

Gilbert gave a long and appreciative whistle. "Wow, what, isn't she like ten or something? That little one who runs around with the Peeters' son a lot? How did your scag of a mother pull it off?"

"I don't know," Alfred lied. In fact, he had a pretty vivid idea of how, but _that _was something he never wanted to think about. Some days he was to the point that he couldn't blame their father for leaving any more. "But there's an eight year gap… I mean… okay I know it's not that huge, but… she's _twelve_, you know? I don't… want to ruin her life."

"And yours in the process am I right?" Gilbert smiled sharply. "Hey don't freak out or anything, it's just written all over your face. I guess I got off lucky with Eliza. They catch you foolin' around once, and you're off to be married!" He harrumphed, crossing his arms sternly before his face melted into a fond smile. "Can't say I have any regrets, though."

Alfred smiled wanly. "Yeah, I sure hope it all turns out alright. It won't stop that cold feeling in my stomach, but I'll hope anyway."

Gilbert nodded, bending forward to pick up all the cards before perking up suddenly. "Hey isn't her family ri—"

He was interrupted by frantic banging on the wooden doors to their post. "Sirs, sirs are you in there? Please _help_!"

Alfred was the first one up, his chair tipping back and clattering to the floor in his haste. He grasped the iron door ring and wretched it open, revealing a hysterical man and a teenaged girl. Almost immediately he recognized the man as Veronique's father. "Mr. Girard! Sir, are you alright? What's happened?"

"My Veronique! My pearl and rose!" he sobbed, his tanned face warping into wrinkled despair and tears.

The girl by his arm fretted, her brown eyes were wide and fearful. "The young mistress is missing, sir guard!" she exclaimed. "Stolen right from her bed, she was. Dreadful, dreadful!" The woman bit at her nails, watching Alfred as he stared at the duo in shock, Gilbert peering intensely over his shoulder. "Sir, sir tell them what it was. Master Girard saw it, sirs! He truly did. Tell them what it was!"

The man hiccupped, fighting over his sobbed words until he stumbled forward. Gilbert caught the man by his upper arm, pulling him into the guard house and sitting him on a chair, Alfred fetched a mug of water as the woman, who Alfred realized must have been Veronique's nanny, fanned him.

"Sir," Alfred said as gently, yet assuredly as he could. "I need you to tell me who did this. Tell me so I can get her back."

"No, no, no!" Mr. Girard wailed pitifully, "You cannot save her! My rose, my pearl! She is dead, for the Naga has taken her!"

Time itself seemed to freeze in the cramped guard house, the cold stone in Alfred's stomach leaping upwards into his throat and choking him. "The Naga?" he repeated softly, disbelieving. But the pure sorrow and turmoil on the man's face told Alfred and Gilbert more than they ever needed to know.

It was true. The snake had struck again. And this time, Alfred couldn't sit idly by.

* * *

The night was spent attempting to console Veronique's father, reporting to Captain Yao, and throwing the town drunk, Mathias, into a cell for the night after he had been found wandering the streets singing obnoxiously. It had been one of the most confusing and eventful nights of Alfred's life, but when the dewy morning came, bringing the world from black to gray, he had a feeling that it still wasn't over.

News spread fast in a town like theirs. Alfred always wondered how or who, but by the time he was finished pulling off his leathers, his mother was barging into the barracks, permission or not. "Alfred! Alfred Jones, how _dare _you!" she howled, making Alfred and the other guards within wince.

Alfred's shoulder's sagged as he gathered up his things, throwing apologies to his fellow guards as his mother began to drag him outside. "Mother… Mother stop," he whined as she began to pull him by the ear onto the grassy lot used for swordsmanship training.

She hesitated to let him go, and then settled him with a scalding glare. "Are you not a guard? A protector of the citizens?"

"I… I am…"

"Then how is it that your _fiancée _is taken by the Naga! Alfred, you fool. Without that marriage there will be no dowry. I don't think you quite understand this, but that is a lot of money. You, young man, are ruining this family with your lazy, unambitious behavior and," she made a frustrated noise, "And those stupid books of yours are deluding you! You are no scholar, boy! And obviously you are no guard, either!"

Alfred's grip on his gear tightened as he listened to his mother. In respect, he knew she was right. He _had _failed as a guard, and also as a fiancé (even if it had been official for a mere day). The life of a young, cherished girl had been lost on his watch. And even though it was almost impossible to predict when the Naga would strike, he should have taken more precautions, should have… done something to stop the snake man. But what could he do…?

"Hey! I think that's enough," Gilbert shouted suddenly, interrupting his mother's barrage of insults as he cut across the lawn to Alfred's side. "We had a long night, lady. It's time for us to get some rest. C'mon, Al, let's stop by the alehouse."

Alfred blinked. He looked from his mother to Gilbert and shrugged. Drinking sounded like a perfect plan right now. "Alright."

His mother went slack-jawed in her fury; a few hairs strayed from her meticulous hairstyle as she fought for the right words to shout at their retreating backs. Finally she stamped her feet and left and Alfred released a long sigh. "Thank you," he muttered gratefully.

"Sure thing, kid. I hate to see you ripped into like that for no reason. She seriously gets on my nerves anyway. Although we're still going to the alehouse."

He chuckled and coughed, his throat was dry and pained. "Yeah, I've got no problems with that."

The alehouse was owned by hardy, silent man by the name of Berwald, who was coincidentally a cousin, however many times removed, of the town's drunk. He greeted Gilbert and Alfred with a stern nod, filling up two mugs with frothing beer and setting them down on the bar table before them. "On the house," he said, his deep voice was barely discernible underneath his chopped words, but after spending a few long days at the alehouse with Gilbert, Alfred felt familiar enough with the man to understand and appreciate the offer.

"Thanks." He tilted his mug towards Gilbert. "Should we have a toast today?" he asked solemnly.

Gilbert paused, the lip of his mug a mere inch from his mouth. "Ah… Yeah, I don't know. It's been pretty shitty, huh?" He set his mug back down, staring hazy-eyed into the white froth. "How about, just this once, we drink for the sake of drinking?"

Everything in the alehouse was quiet, only two other patrons within to spend their morning drinking. It was a sad sight and Alfred turned back forward. "Yeah, alright. Maybe by the second round we'll think of something."

"Or the third, or the sixth. I want to be carried home after a night like last night. Someone warn my wife for me." Alfred gave a glum chuckle before bringing the mug to his mouth and taking his first drink.

* * *

It was well into the afternoon when Gilbert pointed at Alfred and shouted, "You're drunk as a whale!" and laughing into the froth of his newest beer.

"Whales can't get no drunk, Gil. Whales… they… whales _swim_." Alfred leered at his drinking partner, his cheeks rosy with alcohol and his normally sharp blue eyes hazed. "So shut yer mouth."

The door to the alehouse opened, but was largely ignored by the few patrons within. Alfred took the final swig of his beer, almost choking on the mouthful when a hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Sir Guard, Alfred?"

Alfred swiveled around in his barstool drunkenly, blinking at the familiar face that stared solemnly down at him. "Ah… oh. Mr. Girard. Have you… come to grieve with us?"

"Grieve…" Veronique's father sighed shakily, a hand pinching at the bridge of his nose. "I have done much mourning this day, but I wish to have a word with you – when you are in the right mind, however."

There was a small hesitation on Alfred's part, before the blond huffed, closing his eyes for a moment and attempting to focus completely on Mr. Girard. "No, look it's fine. What'd ya need to speak about?"

Mr. Girard frowned, slowly taking the stool next to Alfred, allowing his elbows to rest on the bar with his face pillowed into his hands. "I had a talk with your mother about an hour ago. It was about… the consequences… of…"

"I'm sorry," Alfred interrupted suddenly leaning a bit too far forward and reeling himself back. "Sorry that she did that. S'too soon to be doin' that. When you should be mourning… I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault. None of this is. But there is something that your mother brought up, something that I want." Mr. Girard ran a hand through his brown hair. "I want the Naga's head. I want revenge for the death of my beloved daughter. I want justice. And I want you to be the one to bring it." He watched Alfred's brows furrow together in concentration, his lips frowning ever so slightly. "I know that there are many dangers beyond the walls of this town, young sir, but if you do this for me, I will happily give you the dowry you were to receive on your wedding day – and more if you so choose. Just knowing the Naga is dead is worthy enough of a fine fee."

Alfred leaned backwards into Gilbert's shoulder, the acidic taste of bile beginning to form at the back of his throat. He coughed, shaking his head back and forth lightly. "No," he muttered as Gilbert pushed him back up, "I won't do it for the money." Mr. Girard's face went blank, any traces of hope vanishing quickly. "I'll do it for Veronique. I'll do it for her because she wasn't s'posed to die. I'll bring back the Naga's head so that way no one else has to die. Not for money. I don't want no stinkin' money for bein' a hero."

There was a quiet din in the alehouse Alfred's words almost seemed to echo off the wooden walls. Mr. Girard stood, placing his hands on Alfred's shoulders as pinched tears began to fall from his brown eyes. "Thank you. Thank you, Alfred. It does my heart well to know that there are still men like you in this world."

Alfred smiled belatedly and hiccupped. "Ah… it's nothing… I uhm… Can I go to sleep first?"

Gilbert cackled loudly as Mr. Girard nodded enthusiastically, announcing that he would aid Alfred as well as he could. Alfred yawned, grimaced at the taste in his mouth and bid everyone a fair day before stumbling home to fall asleep on his unmade bed.

The quest to kill the Naga could wait until morning.

* * *

_Unimportant Notes: _Hello! Welcome to my Snake!Arthur fic, which has now migrated from my LJ to here. :U It will be composed of four parts.

This fic is the brain-baby between myself and TerreCiel (on fanfic).


	2. Part 2

**What Lurks Beyond**

_Part Two_

Those that were closest to Alfred gathered about his house the next morning, some murmuring sullenly and some proudly. Alfred sat inside at his table, his hair still damp from a cold bath and his brother Matthew sitting opposite of him. Alfred wrapped his hands around his tin cup.

"Why did you agree to do this?" Matthew asked him. A strangely shaped parcel was sitting on the table between them. It was wrapped in leather and cloth, lumpy and odd. Alfred stared at it blankly. His mind felt like a haze of confliction. "Alfred?"

He shrugged. "I guess… I feel responsible," he replied after a moment or two. "Not for her death, I understand that there was nothing I could do. But Matthew… she was my fiancée. I'm supposed to look after her. So if that means getting revenge for her unjust death… then so be it."

The two brothers sat in silence. After a long, pregnant minute Matthew sighed. "I know I can't change your mind – and even if I could… you promised." With talented fingers, Matthew pushed the strange parcel across the table and into Alfred's arms. "I was working on this with Vash. It's not often we get to smith weapons, but he's so talented at it. I want you to have it. It will protect you, and unlike the military's swords, the metal in this one is flexible so it would be incredibly hard to break."

Alfred pulled the leather and fabric from the bundle, revealing a sharpened sword. The hilt was simple yet sturdy; the blade itself was an almost purple hue from the process of smelting – what metals were used, Alfred couldn't tell – but what caught his eye almost immediately, were the small, fierce looking serrations along the top half of the blade. Alfred gently touched one with his finger and blinked as the edge punctured his skin. "What's this?" he asked, awed, applying pressure to the pad of his finger to staunch the slow bleeding.

Matthew scratched at his thick blond hair. "It was Vash's idea. I told you he's talented… I'm honored to be his apprentice, no matter what mother says." He smiled. "Vash said if you're going for the Naga, you should use that sword and cut his neck, right on the side – here." Matthew touched his own skin where his neck met his shoulder. "He's half human, so he has human weaknesses. Vash says it's likely the best way to kill him."

"I see." Alfred sheathed the sword gently, strapping it to his belt and standing. "I… I should pack and leave… before I lose any more daylight."

His brother nodded, his wavy golden hair bobbing with the movement. Alfred was grateful for the help, but torn. He wanted to pack alone, to whittle away the time and convince himself _not _to do this. But he knew he had to. For the safety of the town, for the honor of his far too young, deceased fiancée, for the conscious of a man he'd never been too acquainted with - and Matthew was there, gathering up necessities and wrapping bread, cheese and dried meats into waxy linen cloths before packing them neatly into bag made of coarse cotton. "What am I gunna need that for?" Alfred asked as the folded up a blanket, thick and warm and rather resistant to the damp and rain, pointing at the small wooden box in Matthew's hands.

"The sewing kit?" Matthew faltered. "Well… you never know…" He tucked the box into the bag, followed by a smaller tinder kit. "It doesn't weigh that much, I'm sure you'll survive." Alfred pulled a face. They stuffed the blanket inside, to top it all off and to keep the smaller items from jostling around too much during travel. Matthew tied the bag shut and hefted it up so Alfred could slip his arms easily into the straps. "Just… stay safe. Okay?"

Matthew's hand lingered on the crook of his elbow and Alfred nodded. There was a great chance that he would never see his brother again after this day. He gathered Matthew into a quick hug, pressing their foreheads together. He wanted his last words to be remembered. "I'll do my best to make you proud of me, Matt. Don't let mother ruin your life like she did mine, alright? I'll never forgive you if you do."

They stood in silence for a few cherished moments, Matthew's face twisting into a desperate expression of guilt and grief. "I promise Alfred. I promise."

Alfred clapped Matthew on the back, pulling away from the dewy embrace with a deep breath. "It's time for me to go. Just you wait Matt! Soon you'll be a famous smith with kids everywhere askin' to be your apprentice, you'll see."

Matthew said nothing in return, only nodding as Alfred stepped outside of the house and into the small gaggle of worried and anxious onlookers. His mother held him close, her cheek pressing against his own. "Don't bother coming back without that Naga's head," she whispered severely into his ear as she hugged him, her hands touching the sides of his face with mock tenderness. Alfred only felt an icy chill where her fingers touched his skin. Everyone saw the gesture, but never did they hear the words, "There will be nothing here for you."

He nodded sharply and dislodged himself from her oppressive grip. If there was any silver lining in the entire situation, it was that he was finally free from _her_. And if that meant an honorable death, then so be it. It was better than living the life she had planned for him. The onlookers waved mournfully at him, some cheered for him, and some prayed openly for his safety or even for the death of the Naga. Alfred steeled himself and began his trek through the town, coming upon the main gates and stopping.

Captain Yao himself was manning the gatepost. His armor looked too big on his small frame, and his expression was too serious for his round face, but Alfred knew him to be a strong, kindled spirit and he saluted the man. "I'm assuming you know where I am off to?" Alfred asked as the Captain gave a quick salute in return.

"Yes. I was hoping you would pass through here, I have something for your journey." Yao flicked his long brown hair back over his shoulder as he quickly rummaged around the table that Gilbert enjoyed most for card games and counting toll money. Yao leaned out of the small window, a leather pouch in his armored hand. "My Aunt made this for your task. She was up until dawn perfecting it." He frowned deeply. "It is a poison tailored to kill. You know I am not fond of these kinds of things, but… You are a fine guardsman, Alfred, and I wish to see you return to this town a hero, but most importantly, _alive_."

Gingerly Alfred took the pouch from Yao's hand, feeling the oval shape of a small vial within. "I understand, sir," he said, standing a little bit straighter and trying to appear more confident. "I'll not fail you. I…" he trailed off, unable to think of anything reassuring to say. "It's comforting to know that others want me to succeed."

Yao's smile was strained but present nonetheless. "Remember," the older guard said softly as he pulled the lever that would begin to open the gate, his voice barely discernible over the squelching of iron rubbing against stone and chains clinking together, "You will always find allies in the most unlikely of places. Be ever alert – and understanding."

Alfred nodded as the gate was fully opened. "Thank you, sir. I'll be back."

"I await your return."

And with that final farewell, Alfred took the first step beyond the towering walls of the town.

* * *

Everyone knew where the Naga lived. Or at least, they knew the general location. The snake man lived at the base of the mountains, where the sun shone without hindrance, and the tree line just began to recede, making for an excellent hunting ground within a decent distance. The landscape was naturally littered with caves deep and shallow, some obvious and some hidden. It was the perfect place for a snake.

Alfred walked on for miles. His hand was constantly on the hilt of his sword, his shoulders tensing with every foreign sound he thought he had heard. The wilderness was a dangerous, dangerous place, especially for someone who was alone and rather unprepared. Monstrous and vile things lived in the trees and open plains and in every shadow. He was glad that the hike to the Naga's lair was only a half a day's time, but the hardest part would be finding which cave, exactly, belonged to that of the beast.

His boots began to crunch on loose gravel instead of decaying leaves as he walked and he knew he was coming closer to the lower-alpine region that every traveler was told to avoid. The sun was in the full swing of early evening, the rays beating down on the back of his neck as he began ducking behind boulders and crouching as he went about, peering into the mouths of caves and occasionally plundering inside to find nothing within.

Alfred's armor was starting to itch, his nerves fraying further and further with every notch the sun descended into the sky. It was dangerous to be out at night; suicidal in Naga territory. Perhaps it would be best if he found shelter before it was too late…

But then he saw it. Beneath his leather and iron plated boot was a wide, winding marking on the ground. The imprint wasn't deep, but it was the obvious displacement of gravel and pebbles, the way the tweedy grass bent beneath the weight of something slithering forwards… Alfred crouched to examine it in detail, running his fingers along the tracks before deciphering which direction they were headed based on the angle of pushed gravel and bent grasses.

Squashing the sudden trepidation that bubbled unpleasantly in the back of his throat and stomach, Alfred stood and did his best to sneak along the trail, cringing every time a rock slid loudly beneath the soles of his boots. There wasn't much in the way of cover and he definitely didn't blend into his surroundings well. He could only hope that he would have the first strike – or at least some element of surprise – over his quarry.

The sun was beginning to turn orange in the sky when he finally spotted _it_. He had been about to give up, more anxious than ever to find somewhere to hide, when he saw, laid out on a large, flat rock, the Naga. The half man, half snake was basking contentedly in the evening sun; the verdant green scales on the lower half of his body twitching with sleepy muscle contractions.

Alfred ducked behind a dirt swathed boulder, pulling off his pack and setting it down as quietly as possible. His feet crunched against stray gravel as he peered around the side of the boulder and through the spindly branches of a leafless bush.

Suddenly the Naga was alert, sitting up and looking wildly around as his tail curled around his waist defensively. "Who'sss there?" the Naga shouted, and there was an obvious, hissing lisp to his words. Alfred stood stock still, watching as the Naga looked around, his slender, forked tongue flitting in and out of his mouth as if he were _tasting _the air itself. With a final flick of his tongue, the Naga turned sharply, his eyes, rounded and bright and very much _too close to human_, caught Alfred's. "Come out from there. I know you're there."

Even though his knees trembled and his heart seemed to still, Alfred stood, moving out into the open quietly. His hand was on the hilt of his sword, knuckles going white underneath the leather of his gloves. "I've come for your head, Naga," Alfred said as he drew his sword, brandishing it at the creature on the rock before him.

"And what need do you have of my head?" the snake man asked, his head tilting slightly as a teasing look came across his too human features.

Alfred frowned. The creature wanted to play, try and dwindle down the hours left of sunlight before escaping. He couldn't allow that to happen – he was already at enough of a disadvantage as it was. "You killed a precious little girl, beast," he said, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. It was his failure that brought him here. He wouldn't let Veronique down now. The Naga visibly hesitated, but Alfred continued, "I'm here in her honor!"

His feet seemed to move on their own accord, steady and fleeting over the loose pebbles as he charged the Naga, his sword low and prepared to arch in a devastating attack. Unsurprisingly to Alfred, the Naga was quicker, slithering off the flat rock and into the shadows without a sound. Alfred stopped; his blade at the ready as he slowly circled the Naga's basking rock, cursing at the lowering sun's deep shadows. Where could the creature have gotten to? Was he in those shadows? Biding his time? He knew he couldn't take any chances and adjusted his stance.

Blue eyes surveyed the alpine scene before him, his back tensing and his hands flexing his grip on the hilt of his sword. A small noise could be heard from the hill and a few rocks rolled down, hitting against the side of his boot. Alfred looked up quickly to see the Naga behind a shifting boulder, his slender shoulder low as the creature pushed against the rock until it began to slide haphazardly down the hill.

Alfred swore loudly, running to side and barely making it out of the swaying trajectory of the boulder, smaller rocks flying about and clicking against his armor as dust attacked at his face, temporarily rendering him blind; which was just enough time for the Naga to strike, slithering in the wake of the boulder and launching itself at Alfred.

The blond man yelped as the Naga's hands clutched at his wrist and hair, knocking him to the ground. Alfred tried opening his eyes, watching through his teary vision as the Naga's lower jaw began to dislocate before it bit into his bicep. "Fucking shit!" Alfred yelled as the snake man's stunted fangs pierced through his clothes, wiggling between the gaps of his chainmail below and into his skin. His sword arm was immobilized by the fierce grip on his wrist and the blinding pain as the Naga's teeth began to cut and move into his flesh.

Always one to think on his feet, Alfred grasped for the small, sheathed dagger in his belt, yanking it free but unable to unsheathe it. The Naga's tail began to coil around his legs, slow and painful constrictions that Alfred knew could easily break bones and leave massive bruises. He panicked and there was a distinctive snapping noise.

Unthinking, fighting through blinding pain, he held the dagger backwards, using what strength he possessed in his left arm to strike the pommel of the weapon against the Naga's temple.

The snake man reeled, a noise somewhere between a scream and a hiss wrenching its way from the creature's lips. Alfred's legs and arm quickly became free as the Naga writhed in pain, its tail slapping and looping around and 'round as it tried to come back to its senses. He picked himself up, refusing to react to the sharp burning sensation that shot through his leg, and with both hands he held to his sword before making the final blow.

The thin blade sung as it sliced through the air, the serrations digging into the Naga's skin. But the snake man had managed to squirm out of the way, the sword cutting through his shoulder instead of the junction of his neck. It was a deep, disgusting wound all the same, and the Naga cried out in delirious pain.

Alfred fell to his knees, unable to stand. He crawled over to the Naga, pressing his sword against the creature's throat. Is all he had to do was lean forward…

"No… no, no, no…" the Naga whimpered, its green, _unrealistically green_, eyes beginning to roll into the back of its head as it started to lose consciousness. "I can't… no…"

He waited to see if the creature would say anything more, but there was nothing else uttered, a stray tear beading up and running down the curve of the Naga's nose. Alfred hesitated at the subconscious display of humanity. He eyed the bleeding gash on the Naga's shoulder and the sword in his hands. "I… I – I can't do it…" he mumbled in a broken voice. Alfred pulled the blade away from the creature's throat. It seemed wrong somehow. It was for revenge, in honor of Veronique – the beloved of her father. They wanted him to kill this creature – this _man_. "I'm sorry, Matt."

In the waning light of the sun, Alfred dragged himself to his pack, pulling out the thick blanket and the sewing kit, along with a tightly woven hemp rope. Settling the bag back onto his shoulders he made his way back to the snake man, checking its breathing and consciousness before opening the sewing kit and threading a needle with thick black thread.

"I'm sure this isn't what you intended for me to do with this," he muttered, pouring water onto the Naga's wound to clean it out as well as he could. Why did he feel like such a criminal, he wondered as he began to stitch the monster's gash closed with shaking hands and dim lighting. This creature was a murderer – had taken many lives, and not just from his town. This creature preyed upon the weak, stole children and possessions, it was vile and evil and it _cried_. Why would it do such a thing? Why did he, even though he would be praised as a hero and labeled in the name of justice, feel like the murderer? Were there other Naga out there? Would they seek revenge just as he did?

He frowned as he made the final stitch, tying off the thread and snapping the bloody needle away, depositing it back into the kit. It was too much to think about – too much for his exhaustion, for his clouded mind, for the pain that didn't leave his body. With a sigh he poured water along the wound once more, and then he wrapped the blanket around the Naga's body and tied the creature up with the rope, making sure the scratchy hemp wouldn't rub at any bare skin or scales. He would question the creature when it woke. Right now he needed to find a shelter for the night.

Alfred packed up his things, standing tenderly with his weight on his good leg. From what he could tell it was only a fracture – nothing was jutting out from skin, his foot wasn't at an odd angle and his knee appeared to be fine – it just hurt. A lot.

At the base of the flat, basking rock Alfred found a wide hole. He pressed his lantern inside, peering into the depths only to deem it safe enough. It was probably the Naga's home and therefore clear of anything else that could be problematic. He pulled the Naga inside by the blanket, squirming a bit to get his armor covered chest inside the entrance.

The cave was moist and cool, the air stagnant, but it was breathable. Alfred scrunched his nose in distaste at the smell and left the Naga's body in the center of the cave floor, choosing instead to prop himself up in the corner, his broken leg set out before him. His breath came out in small huffs as he let his head fall back against the rock wall. Carefully he set the lantern next to himself, letting the soft light bathe over the darkness. For a long time he simply watched the Naga's unmoving body before he fell into a restless slumber.

* * *

When Alfred woke, sunlight poured gently into the mouth of the cave in small, waving beams. He sat up, wincing at the tender burning sensation in his leg, and sighed. What was he going to do now? He couldn't return to the town with his leg in this condition, nor could he return without the Naga's head… wait – the Naga!

Alfred looked up, his blue eyes wide and nervous as he peered into the gray of the cave. Almost immediately his gaze was caught by the piercing green stare of the Naga. The snake man had struggled against his binding – if the long, narrow rashes along the creature's shoulders and neck were nothing to go by. Alfred frowned.

"What do you want from me?" the creature hissed out suddenly, its eyes unblinking as it stared into Alfred's.

The sandy blond man shivered nervously. Why however, he couldn't fathom, not when _he _was the one with the advantage. Alfred sat up further, steeling his expression, unwilling to let the Naga see how much pain he was in. What did he want? Why did he spare the life of a murderous creature? "I don't know," answered Alfred after a long, terse silence. "Answers, maybe; an apology – a miracle. I don't know. I don't know what I want from you."

The Naga blinked slowly, briefly hiding his vibrant green eyes, the slit pupils dilated from darkness and emotion. "Why didn't you kill me? What do plan to do with me? Why capture me inssstead?"

"Capture…?" Of course now that he thought about it, if he had woken up in binds after a particularly harsh battle, he would have assumed the same thing. He _could _bring the Naga back to the town, have Yao publicly execute the monster, or he could sell the creature to the highest bidder – to the traveling jesters and wonder shows. But somehow it didn't seem right. It felt like he was missing an opportunity to make things just and to quell Veronique's spirit lawfully. It was only righteous that he didn't resort to selling someone who was at least _partially _human into slavery. "I didn't capture you. I tied you up."

"That explainsss nothing! Why did you do thisss! What will you do to me?" The Naga began to struggle violently against his bindings, hissing loudly as the hemp rope rubbed against the poor stitching of his wound.

Alfred scrambled to his feet, leaning against the curving wall of the cave and taking all pressure from his broken leg. "I did it so you wouldn't kill me in my sleep!" he said loudly, making the snake man startle at the echo of his stern voice. "I can't… I can't question a dead body!"

"_Liar_!" the Naga howled. "You'll get your anssswersss and ssslit my throat! I know your gamesss!"

"I am not! I _will not!_" Alfred stumbled over to the bound creature, falling pathetically to his knees next to it. He grimaced in pain but said nothing about it as he unsheathed his small dagger. "If I free you, will you answer my questions?"

The Naga's eyes stared at the sharpened metal of the dagger for a long, silent time. It looked back to Alfred expressionlessly. "Do you take me for a fool?"

Alfred grit his teeth and if it was from annoyance or anger, he couldn't tell. "No! Look, okay I know things didn't go as planned, and it's hard to trust someone that not even a day ago was trying to cut off your head for the sake of revenge but goddammit please _trust _me. I can't… I won't kill you." He breathed a heavy sigh, the dagger falling and pressing lightly against the woven rope. "Revenge isn't the answer. I'm sorry it took me this long to figure that out."

No one said anything at that; their breaths were loud in the echoing cave. "If I anssswer your quessstion… you will let me free – forever. You will not come for me. You will not attempt to kill me? Not again, not ever?"

"I swear on my very life and the life of my brother that I will not." He waited until the creature gave a sharp nod before taking a breath and pulling the dagger against the rope.

The hemp snagged as the metal began to saw through the braided material before it snapped with a crisp noise. Almost immediately the Naga sprang up, putting distance between itself and the guard. They both waited, rigid and wounded. The dagger clattered to the stony ground. "What did you want to know?"

Alfred's head hung slightly as he stared at the ground. He honestly didn't think this far ahead, too caught up on the thought that once he cut those ropes, the creature would be gone or he would be dead – or both. "Why…" He looked up, watching the Naga watch him from a safe, darkened corner. "Why… why did you kill her? What did she do? Are there remains? Did you eat her?"

The Naga sniffed. "I don't eat humansss," he said in distaste, his nose turning up in the air. "I prefer prey that isssn't rank meat, thank you."

"You… you don't eat humans…?" Alfred frowned, his brows furrowing in confusion as he tried to come up with the right words to say. Alfred touched his shoulder, where the skin was punctured and swollen beneath his armor; could have fooled him. But he wanted to remain civil, or at least on track with his questioning. He was already this far. "Then why? Why did you kill her?"

The snake man shrugged, slinking out of the corner carefully and slowly moving towards the mouth of the cave. "There are thingsss…" the Naga hesitated, his tongue darting between his lips as if in annoyance, "in this world that even I cannot fathom."

Alfred could only watch in disbelief as the Naga slithered from the cave, its long reptilian tail winding and looping as it nudged its way through the small crevasse. Suddenly the creature pushed its head back inside. "What isss your name, human?"

"Wh-wha… I-It's Alfred. My name. Alfred."

The Naga's eyes seemed to bore into him as if they could see through his very soul. "I'm only doing thisss becaussse you did not kill me; I owe you. You are within my den, human, and you may remain – asss a favor." The creature frowned. "I am called Arthur."

Alfred didn't have a chance to speak further before the Naga disappeared. He adjusted his posture, setting his broken leg out before him and taking off his boot. With a sigh he reached for his discarded bag, but there was only one thing on his mind. "Arthur…"


	3. Part 3

**What Lurks Beyond**

_Part Three_

Alfred was left alone for a long time, leaving him to pull off his boot and splint his leg as best he could. It also gave him a moment to let his mind wander as he tried to keep consciousness. How were the others fairing back home? Did they miss him? Were their lives any different without him there? Of course it hadn't been all that long since he had left, but he wondered if any of them at all were expecting him to ever come home.

"Probably not," he muttered to himself as he dug through his pack for the linen wrapped cheeses and dried meats. His head was clouding with pain, his bitten shoulder was stiffening and ached as the wounds began to infect. Alfred tried to ignore it all as best he could, pressing the morsels into his mouth forcefully and hoping that he would regain his strength and recover soon.

He wasn't sure where he would go after he managed to walk – probably wander around until he found his death or a new town to take refuge in. He couldn't go home, not after he made that promise to the snake man and if Alfred was anything, it was a man of his word.

The snake man… it was hard not to think about him. Alfred wondered – was the Naga more man or snake? He kept his promise and even allowed Alfred the shelter of his den – even though he might just be waiting for him to lose consciousness before killing him. Somehow Alfred doubted that. The trickles of humanity he saw in the Naga – in _Arthur_, they fascinated and scared him.

For hours Alfred concentrated on the filtered light of the cave's mouth, watching it change in color and intensity over the hours until his mind fell into a dull quiet and he finally slipped into an uncomfortable sleep.

When he woke up next the light from the mouth of the cave was diminished and orange, making the blue stone walls around him a strange color of tarnished green. In the center of the cave was the Naga, his green-scaled tail coiled around his body as he peeled the muscled sinew from the bones of a rabbit and ate – only swallowing the flesh in chunks and never chewing.

It was both entrancing and disgusting to watch and after a few moments Alfred shifted in hopes to find a more comfortable position against the stone wall.

The Naga's – _Arthur's _– head snapped forward at the sound, his tongue darting from his mouth. "Ah, you are not dead after all."

Alfred, who in all honestly did not expect to be alive, smiled grimly. "Not yet," he muttered, touching his swollen shoulder. "You're not… poisonous, are you?" he asked with no small amount of trepidation.

"No." The snake man flicked away the bone of a rabbit and it clattered and echoed throughout the small cave. "Paralysisss, but not poissson. Thessse herbsss are a natural cure." He picked up a bundle of waxy leaves, tied together with a long, reedy grass, but he made no move to give them to Alfred. "Do you want them? They help."

"Is this a trick question?" Alfred grimaced. His head was throbbing with his pulse and everything ached with a dull pain. He wasn't in the shape or mood to understand what was happening.

The Naga cocked his head to the side. "No tricksss. When you are healthy, you leave my home. Or you die and leave me be. I do not mind which." He gave Alfred some sort of smile, strange because it was wide and showed the gap between his teeth that his tongue would dart between. It reminded Alfred of a child missing his front teeth.

"Oh-okay… Can… Can I use them?" he asked. He wanted to sit up straighter, to seem more confident and in control of the situation, but his body wouldn't let him. He wanted to go back to sleep. With effort Alfred held out his hand.

The smile never left Arthur's face as he slithered slowly towards Alfred and placed the bundle of herbs in his cupped hand. He watched Alfred with amusement as the man rubbed the leaves between his gloved fingers and stared at them in confusion. "Well?" he prompted.

Alfred swallowed thickly. He had no idea how to administer the herbs. Did he chew them? Boil them? He didn't know. "How… how do you… use them?"

Arthur's smile was quickly replaced by an expression of surprise. "You're asssking me for help?"

"Uhm… yes?"

"I did not think you would." Arthur took the herbs from Alfred and moved to a different corner of his den where he kept smooth stones for crushing plants into pastes and powers. Carefully he ground down each leaf until it was a pulpy green mass. Saving one leaf to be a type of plate, he brought the curative to Alfred. "Remove your armor."

Alfred grunted out a sound that was mixed between pain and annoyance. He tried to unbuckle the familiar straps to the plate around his chest, but found it exceedingly difficult with the proper use of only one arm. Another pained grunt fell from his lips so he bit them and adverted his eyes from the waiting Naga as he struggled to finish. This wasn't a matter of not knowing how; it was a matter of pride.

Arthur smiled, it was soft and barely there, as if he didn't know he was making that expression while he watched Alfred struggle until he managed to pull off his chest-plate and tugged his chainmail shirt over his head. "Allow me," he said when Alfred yanked off his chainmail.

The den was tense with silence. Neither Alfred nor Arthur knew how far to trust one another, how well this situation would work out, or how safe they were in each other's presence. Arthur located the swollen puncture wounds left by his fangs with two slender, cold fingers and began spreading the thick salve over the marks, on the pinking skin, and along the curve of Alfred's shoulder.

"It burns," was all Alfred could think to say as the Naga worked. His skin tingled as if he had broken a leaf of mint and rubbed it on himself. He could only imagine Matthew sitting next to him with a smile and saying that that's how you know it's working.

Arthur made a sound, a noise somewhere between a hum and a hiss, and let his hand settle onto Alfred's shoulder. "Sssleep now," he said. "No harm will come to you if you do, asss I have proven."

It was true, and Alfred knew that even though the snake man had kept his promises thus far, there's no telling if he'd continue to do so. But instead of arguing he pursed his lips and nodded. "Okay," he said. And with a bit of effort he added, "I believe you."

* * *

The first time he had woken up from an uncomfortable slumber with Arthur wrapped around him, sleeping, Alfred had panicked. He was, in retrospect, lucky he hadn't flailed or moved much due to his sore limbs and disturbed the Naga, but his breath had hitched and his heart rate sped fast enough he could hear his pulse pounding.

The Naga was trying to kill him, he thought, it was going to crush him like small prey and – and do what? The Naga didn't eat humans, so maybe he would fling his body into deserted cavern amongst the Cliffside and be done with it.

However, when his panic subsided he noticed that there was no pain, only a slight discomfort in his hip from his own awkward position. Arthur was not constricting him. Occasionally a muscle would twitch and Alfred could feel it through his clothes and he would stiffen in expectation, only for Arthur to hiss out a sigh and continue slumbering.

That first time, when Arthur woke up, the Naga had blushed an incredibly bright red color, mumbled something obscene and left the den. Alfred was confused, embarrassed, and more than a little worried about what had happened.

Arthur didn't come back until well into that night, slinking into a corner opposite of Alfred and refusing to offer any insight on what had happened that morning.

Alfred decided to let it go, until it happened again. He pretended to sleep, evened out his breathing and waited for Arthur to stir.

That time Arthur unwound from him slowly and gently released him back onto the ground and tucked his woolen blanket back around his shoulders. Arthur snarled half-bitten words under his breath as he worked and then left the den in search of, presumably, breakfast.

Alfred only rolled over and sighed. The only words he made out from the snake man's ceaseless mumbling had been, "He's so warm." Alfred didn't understand the happy feeling in his stomach.

* * *

"You're well enough to travel home now," Arthur said to him one night as Alfred munched on the last of his cheese that Matthew had packed for him all those weeks ago.

Alfred sat in the center of the den with his healing leg spread out before him and the other crossed. He looked up from his food to stare at Arthur (_Arthur, _no longer the snake or it or the thing. _Arthur_ who was as feeling and complicated and interesting as any person that Alfred had met in less fantastic ways). "Oh," he couldn't help but to say with a crease in his brow. "I guess you're right."

Arthur cocked his head to the side with a small frown. "You do not look pleasssed," he commented and slithered closer to Alfred. They weren't quite friends, no that certainly wasn't the term, but Alfred had grown accustomed to Arthur and Arthur to him. Their relationship was strange at best and weary at worst. "Do you not want to return home?" Did he sound hopeful? Alfred couldn't tell.

"I do," he said but sighed. "I can't though. When… When I promised not to kill you, you know? I… I made it so I couldn't ever return home. I cannot show my face unless I bring the head of the Naga with me."

They were both silent. Finally Arthur picked up a pebble and rubbed it between his smooth fingers. "That isss a heavy prissse to pay."

"I know," Alfred said and leaned back, trying to keep his body language as open as possible. He knew he wasn't completely healed, so the last thing he wanted was to fight his way out of the narrow cave. "But I keep my promises, and… well… I've come to terms with it. I doubt anyone at home expected to see me ever again." He tried to smile but failed. "I just have to figure out where to go now. That's all."

Arthur's tongue flitted out of his mouth, lashing at the air. He put a firm hand on Alfred's shoulder. "You're not healthy enough to travel," he said sternly. "Ssstay."

Alfred nodded. That night when Arthur inevitably found his way to Alfred's side, coiling around him for warmth against the cool damp of the night, Alfred hugged the sleeping snake man in silent thanks before drifting off into his own slumber.

* * *

When their relationship began to shift into something more positive, Alfred felt as if he was hyperaware of it. One evening they would be staring at each other from across the cavern, the next they were sitting side by side, eating in a comfortable silence, or whispering together softly as Alfred stretched out his sore, unused muscles. He could tell when Arthur was annoyed now, just by watching his face and the way he moved. He could tell when the Naga was happy, content, scared (although he never tried to show it), or worried… it didn't feel right to him – it felt like he was becoming too familiar with a creature that trusted nothing besides himself.

Alfred worried that he was becoming attached.

"Are there others like you?" Alfred asked Arthur one evening. He had spent his day hunting in the forest below with Arthur stalking him from the shadows. What Arthur was doing, Alfred didn't know – checking his skills or health, perhaps watching to see if he ran for the nearest town to give away the snake man's location – he tried not to think about it too much. The lack of trust hurt sometimes.

Arthur didn't answer at first. He took his time snapping the moist bones of a rabbit's carcass before glancing at Alfred with sharp eyes. "Why?" he asked. "If I did, would you ssslay them? What are you planning?"

"Huh? What? No – _no! _That's not what I meant at all." Alfred pulled his knees to his chest and sighed. "I was only wondering because… do you ever get lonely?" He sat back suddenly and coughed. "That was a stupid question, ignore it." He bit at his lower lip, his fists curled into the thin layer of dirt on the ground. "You know I'm sure I'll be fine to travel now. I bet you want me out of your home. I should have never stayed this long. If you want I'll leave tomorrow and you can go ba-"

Arthur was on him in a rush, his strong, muscled tail quickly curling around Alfred's torso and legs as Arthur grabbed his shoulders. "Tomorrow isss not a good day," he said, wrapping around Alfred without hurting him (or so Arthur hoped). "_It _will be awake tomorrow. _It _will be looking for food. You are _it'sss _food."

"Arthur?"

"I have no brethren. Not here – not for many milesss. I am far from the nessst. It can be lonely – to anssswer your quessstion." Slowly Arthur loosened his grip on Alfred, his tail hanging limp around the blond. "It isss dangerousss for you to be here, but I…." Arthur hissed as he tried to grasp for the words he wanted to use. "I do not wisssh for you to leave, either. You are not evil – I like you."

Alfred could feel his pulse quicken and his breath shorten. Arthur was so close. He could feel the Naga's tongue dart against his cheek as he fought for something to say. "I like you too," he whispered. Arthur was a friend – yes, he trusted Arthur, worried about Arthur. He liked Arthur because Arthur wasn't the monster everyone said he was. Arthur was precious to him.

Arthur gave a broad smile – something he didn't do often from an insecurity of his cleft teeth. "I'm glad," Arthur said and wrapped his arms about Alfred's neck, holding him close and cuddling into his warmth. "You are ssso very warm. I find it hard to make my own warmth, but you are like a campfire."

"Oh, haha, yeah, I guess I am." Alfred didn't know how else to respond. Suddenly Arthur was overly familiar with him, as if a switch had flipped inside the snake man. It was both uncomfortable and exciting. What was Arthur like when he wasn't entirely distrustful? Alfred wanted to know.

But then Arthur caught Alfred completely off guard when he cupped Alfred's face between his smooth palms and pressed their lips together.

Alfred tensed. Arthur's lips were soft and moist against his own and he fought the urge to push Arthur away and run back home to Matt. The peace between them was fragile – Arthur could kill him right now, effortlessly, already looped around him in a relaxed bind that simply had to be tightened. Instead Alfred let Arthur do as he pleased, waited with his chin tilted up and his mouth forgiving.

"I – I didn't know you liked me _that _much," Alfred mumbled when they parted and he couldn't help but to feel giddy and unclean. He just kissed his dead fiancée's killer. He thought he might be sick.

Arthur pressed his face into the crook of Alfred's neck and sighed. "Yesss, I do."

Alfred was about to respond, but then Arthur went lax against him in sleep. "Arthur?" he asked, prodding at the Naga's shoulders. When he received no response he gently wrapped his arms around him and mumbled under his breath as his fingers traced the fine, jagged scar on Arthur's shoulder. He could kill Arthur right now, as he slept, but he wouldn't.

He didn't know what was right any more.

* * *

There was a creek in the woods that Alfred used to bathe under the supervision of Arthur. At first he had thought it awkward, and then that it was out of mistrust, but now Alfred was sure it was because Arthur thought he'd leave – or get eaten. Alfred had yet to see anything that could eat him besides Arthur and the snake man insisted that he didn't eat humans.

One day while he was bathing after killing a deer and stripping its flesh to dry for jerky, he heard a loud screech in the sky. He looked up into the canopy, unable to see anything but leaves and a few squirrels running from branch to branch.

Arthur sprang from some nearby foliage, grabbing Alfred's naked waist and pulling him into a dense patch of ferns. "Ssstay out of sssight," Arthur hissed. He held Alfred's face and kissed him quickly before he pushed his head down and slithered from the leaves.

Curious, Alfred kept his head low but parted the massive, fanning leaves just enough so that he could see Arthur move into a sunlit clearing. The screech echoed from above again, but this time it was much louder and accompanied by the gust of wings.

A hulking beast landed in the clearing where Arthur was, coiled around himself as if ready to strike. It had the body of a man, pimpled skin littered with molting fuchsia feathers. Where there would be legs, the creature had the talons of a raptor that clawed at the ground as it hopped closer to Arthur. Instead of arms it had a pair of massive wings and a sharp beak instead of a mouth. "Arthur," the creature said, whistling slightly as it spoke. "I have found you."

"Ssso you have," was Arthur's only response.

The bird-beast ruffled its feathers. "I have been very hungry, you know, Arthur, I have. Where have you been with my food? Don't tell me you forgot about our deal, Arthur, don't tell me you have. I might have to kill you; you know that, don't you? I'm sure you remember our deal, Arthur."

Arthur hissed. "I remember." He uncoiled slightly, his tongue darting from his mouth rapidly as he assessed the situation. "I have been… unlucky. I will catch you sssomething sssoon enough, Francisss. You filthy bird."

"Hm." The beast preened itself. "Who is the filthy one? You are a snake – filthy, slimy snake. Bring me my meal or I will make you my meal, Arthur, I will." And with an ear-piercing whistle, the bird-beast took flight, the sheer force of its takeoff pushed Arthur back into the bushes.

Alfred kept still, waiting for Arthur to approach him with a weary look on his face.

"That," Arthur said in a dull voice. "That isss what eatsss humansss. Not I, not I, but I am itsss-ssslave."

Alfred pulled Arthur close and held him for the sake of comfort. Now he knew that there was no such thing as justice in the world.

- End of Part Three -

* * *

_Unimportant Notes_: I bet you didn't expect to see this.


	4. Part 4

**What Lurks Beyond**

_Part Four_

Alfred was quiet for a long time. He spent days in the den, tossing and turning in his woolen blanket with his thoughts a tumultuous thunderstorm waging war between his ears. Misery and conflicting morals were his only company.

Arthur kept his distance. His forked tongue darted rapidly between his teeth as he watched Alfred from the other side of the den. It was obvious that he wasn't pleased with Alfred's reaction but he also didn't know what to do about it. So he waited, hunting small game for both of them and filling up Alfred's deerskin and metal canteens from the fresh water in the forest. After a few days, however, he wanted to give up and slap the man into sense. To make him stop wallowing and have Alfred face the world with a fresh perspective – if not a grim one. Just as he saw it.

Then one morning Alfred stopped. He had come to an answer.

"All my life I've always thought that what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong," Alfred said as he held Arthur close. He woke up with the Naga curled around him as usual to fend off the nightly chill and he was unwilling to let him go in the face of his grim revelation, so he wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and pressed his nose against smooth skin. "But now I see that sometimes what's right for one person can be wrong for another. Justice, freedom – they're just ideals that apply to the general people. Not to you, or to me, or to my brother Matt. I would say it's unfair, but then that wouldn't get me anywhere, now would it?"

Arthur furrowed his brows as he tried to follow Alfred's line of thought. He was careful to tighten his grip on the man, but did so anyway to show that he was there for comfort. He let his fingers drag through Alfred's knotted hair, carefully untangling it as he spoke. "There isss only one kind of right and one kind of wrong: that which isss right for you and that which isss wrong for the world. Never can you pleassse everyone, but you can alwaysss make them angry."

"Haha, yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it." Alfred's small smile fell into a frown. "Hey, Arthur. You… care about me right?"

"Ssstupid quessstion." Arthur hissed, tugging on a knot before smoothing Alfred's hair. "I do. I am not too familiar with human gesssture and expresssion, but I thought I made my point clear to you. You are different. I like you. I have told you thisss."

Alfred chuckled but the sound was devoid of humor. "I know, I know. I just… wanted to make sure because – because I like you too. A lot." For a moment he peered into Arthur's bright green eyes as if to search for any lie or hidden secret within their verdant depths. Once satisfied at what he might have found within Arthur's eyes, Alfred leaned forward and touched his dry lips to Arthur's.

Arthur's long fingers ran down the sides of Alfred's head and cupped his cheeks. He was careful to move his lips against Alfred's, careful to sigh and gasp with his head turned so Alfred would pepper kisses along his neck. It was a foreign sensation that made him shiver in strange delight. For the better part of his life Arthur had been a solitary creature. Driven from his home and family at a young age, he had never had someone show him such affection.

And then when Francis came along and captured him…. He didn't want to think about it.

"Arthur, do you think…." Alfred turned his head and bit his lip.

Arthur twisted Alfred's head back towards him and brushed their noses together in desperation for the strange feeling that such intimate touches brought. "Continue," he prompted, his tongue darting out and tickling Alfred's chin.

"Uhm, well… I was thinking…."

It was true. The days that he spent thrashing in his blanket, unable to sleep or eat, until he finally brought his plaguing thoughts to rest, he had been searching for a conclusion to his morbid revelation. His life had been set for him, a pawn on his mother's chessboard. He lived for his family, for the town, for justice – never did he have to choose or think for himself and it scared him.

Then there was Arthur, who, in his own way, showed him that sometimes the world was wrong. Alfred certainly thought the world was wrong about Arthur. The same Arthur, even though he might not have been human in appearance, was more human than some people he had ever met – more caring, wise, and interesting.

He decided that he would have to do something for Arthur that the world would never do for him.

"Do you think you could ever love me?"

Arthur froze, even the muscles in his torso and tail failed to twitch as they normally would have. "Love?" he repeated as if to test the word on his forked tongue.

Alfred could feel his heart beat unbearably fast and his stomach squeezed uncomfortably as he stared at Arthur. "Yeah," he whispered. "Love."

"I've never thought of it." Arthur laced his fingers behind Alfred's neck, leaning back to get a better look at the man he was wrapped around. "Love… a ssstrange concept." There was a smile on his face, however, barely there, but enough that his small fangs hooked over his bottom lip. "But it doesss not sssound altogether awful." He pulled closer to Alfred, nosing the man's jaw. "Love is born from trussst. I trussst you."

"Good, oh, that's great." Alfred held Arthur tighter. "I trust you too, Arthur, with my life. I really do. But I want to do something for you and you're going to have to trust me."

"And what of love?"

Alfred smiled wide. "I think I might… love you. The way I feel about you – it's impossible for me to understand, but… that's what I think it's becoming and I want to prove it to you, I guess, but I'm going to need your help." He untangled their arms so that he could twine their fingers together instead. Alfred touched his forehead to Arthur's. "I want you to bring me to that beast – the bird-man. I want to free you."

* * *

Arthur refused.

No matter how much Alfred pleaded or reasoned with him, Arthur would not agree. He had a plan, he wasn't stupid, and he knew he could do this – if only Arthur would help.

"I'll not have you in sssuch danger," Arthur argued. "No."

Alfred made a pathetic face hoping it would help his case. "Please, Arthur!" He reached out for Arthur and stopped, letting his arms hand limply at his sides. "What are you going to do then? What are you going to do when he comes back to kill you? Or are you just going to kill another human and wait for someone else like me to come and try and kill you?" He huddled against the smooth wall of the den. "I don't want you to be hurt and I don't want another father grieving for their lost child." Alfred folded his arms over his chest. "If you don't help me, I'll find him by myself."

Arthur hissed. "You wouldn't dare try. You'll be ssslaughtered."

"So?" he countered. "You can't keep me here."

They had been having this argument for hours, but finally Arthur broke, launching at Alfred to hold him down as if he were on the verge of squirming through the narrow exit of the den. "No, no, no, no! Don't!" His fingers dug into the rough fabric of Alfred's tunic. "Why are you doing thisss?"

Alfred chuckled. "I already told you: love." He cupped Arthur's face with a hand, letting his thumb rub against the apple of his cheek. "Arthur, how does your kind show love for one another?"

"They… find a den together," he said with narrowed eyes, not trusting the turn of conversation. "They mate and they do _not _leave each other becaussse of ssstupid ideasss that will kill them!"

"It's not stupid," Alfred protested. "Love for me – it's not that simple! I want to do _everything_ for you, Arthur. I can't be happy knowing that you're under that thing's rule – in danger of dying." And in some sick sense, that monster was what had killed Veronique – Arthur had only been the instrument. He could still fulfill his original task. "Please, Arthur, why can't you see that?"

Arthur groaned. "Ssstupid. Of courssse I sssee it. Why do you think I want to ssstop you and your delusssionsss? Everything isss fine the way it isss."

"Is it? Is it really, Arthur?" Alfred touched their noses together. "What are you going to do when that bird thing comes and kills you, or me, or both of us? That's no way to live, and I refuse to let you continue on like this – killing to stay alive, not when I can try and fix it."

When Arthur didn't respond, Alfred kissed him.

Never had he thought he could feel this way for anyone, let alone for someone like Arthur. When he had found that he was engaged to young Veronique, he hoped he could learn to love her when she grew older; would she be an interesting person? Did she read? Would she be independent and clever? A part of him was sad he would never get the opportunity to find out.

But Arthur was different and clever once you looked passed the scales and forked tongue. He had a sense of humor, dignity, pride, and an almost childish sensitivity. Alfred was glad that he'd had the chance to stop and look further than the snake and see the human inside.

Alfred's fingers traced the line of Arthur's spine; his hand pressed against Arthur's lower back where smooth skin slowly became soft scales.

"Okay," Arthur said, turning his head to sigh and melt under Alfred's exploring touch. "I trussst you. Tomorrow before dawn I will take you to hisss lair – asss caught prey. You mussst promissse that you'll return. Pleassse."

Alfred kissed Arthur's bottom lip and brushed his hair behind his ears. "I promise," he said even if he knew he might not be able to keep it.

* * *

Arthur left for the forest that day, following the familiar bends and twists of the narrow path within the dense trees, pretending to scope for an opportunity to find a victim for Francis. He was careful in his work, sure to stay in cleared areas in case the creature would pass overhead and spy him.

Alfred on the other hand stayed in the den, smearing dirt on his face and neck before banging up his armor and putting it back on. The weight of the metal was almost unfamiliar to him and he flexed and stretched within, trying to remember how to move with the restraint of the world upon his shoulders. He cleaned his sword, careful of the sharp serrations on the tip. He could do this – he just had to remind himself of that. Digging through his rucksack he retrieved the small vial that Guard Captain Yao had handed him upon his departure.

"I can do this."

By the time Arthur returned with the setting sun, Alfred had driven himself into a nervous frenzy thinking of all the possibilities, mistakes he could make, tactics, and plans. He alternated between fixing his armor, rummaging through his belongings, and lying on the floor of the den to stare blankly at the ceiling.

That was how Arthur found him upon his return, lying on his back with a handful of pebbles that he would toss at the ceiling and they would fall back onto him, clinking off his armor for him to pick up again. Arthur made no mention of the man's odd behavior and instead asked, "Are you sssure about thisss?"

"Don't ask me that, Arthur, not now." Alfred flexed his fingers as if to make sure his gloves were on completely. "Because I don't have an answer."

Arthur grabbed Alfred's shoulders and debated shaking him, but eventually decided against it and lay next to him. "I underssstand." He turned his head to look at Alfred, admiring the strong line of his jaw and the bump in the bridge of his nose. "I don't like to think of sssuch thingsss, but thisss may be the final time we sssee each other…."

Alfred huffed out a tired breath and reached out to take Arthur's hand in his own. "Is this the part where we confess our undying love for each other?"

"Maybe."

They both remained silent.

"I don't want to sleep," Alfred confessed. "I can't stop thinking and it just – it just doesn't work. I'm not scared, just worried – about you."

Arthur propped up on an elbow and leaned over Alfred. "I've managed to live thisss long without you. I can manage sssurviving, but sssadnesss isss sssomething elssse entirely."

"Aw, don't be sad." Alfred pulled Arthur's head down to kiss him, unable to get enough of the warm sensation and peace of mind that the gesture brought him.

With a satisfied hum Arthur pressed against Alfred, his tail winding between Alfred's legs. "I wisssh you could be my mate," he mumbled against the stubble of Alfred's chin. "I'm not very good with wordsss, ssso I want to ssshow you how I feel. I wisssh I could."

Alfred swallowed thickly. "We can," he said, making sure to be clear in his choice of words. "We can try, I mean, there are ways and… if it is our last… well, let's not think about that."

Arthur hovered over Alfred, a curious expression on his face. "You would try? With me?"

"Yeah." He took off his glove and touched Arthur's cheek, letting his fingers trace down Arthur's face, over his neck and across the jut of his collarbones. "Yeah I would."

They peeled off Alfred's armor together, laying it to the side as their hands wandered over exposed skin and scales. Neither one was shy in their advances, but their touches lingered in curiosity.

When Alfred was completely naked, Arthur's hands roaming across his legs, he smiled nervously and grabbed Arthur's wrists. "Hey," he said, "I'm going to need my rucksack." He pointed at the bundled heap in the corner of the den and waggled his fingers. There was a jar of bath oils that Matt had tucked in at some point – as if Alfred would have the opportunity to bathe properly (or sew with the sewing kit, but so far they've both turned out to be invaluable – he wondered if maybe Matt knew all along).

Arthur blinked and unwrapped himself from Alfred to quickly retrieve the rucksack. He handled it with care, setting it down next to Alfred and coiling up upon himself to watch.

Alfred fished out the brass jar of oil and tossed his bag aside. Biting his lower lip he moved into a crouch and shimmied his way over to Arthur and straddled the Naga, shivering at the strange sensation of smooth scales on his bare bottom. "To be honest," he mumbles, "I've never done this before, but I know how it works – uh, for two human males… I – I'm sure it won't be too difficult for us."

"You don't have to do thisss," Arthur said, resting his hands on Alfred's shoulders.

"But I want to." Alfred opened the jar and dipped two of his fingers inside. He smeared the oil around with his thumb, hoping to warm it up before he hooked his fingers behind himself and prodded at his entrance. "Just promise you'll be gentle?" he teased, although he sent Arthur a pleading look.

Arthur rubbed Alfred's shoulders, the gesture reassuring and soft. He watched Alfred's face with baby-grass eyes as Alfred began to work his entrance open with inexperienced fingers and found he was enraptured. "I won't harm you in any way."

Alfred's free hand traveled down Arthur's stomach, his knuckles brushing against the Naga's soft underbelly. His wandering fingers came across a small slit and Alfred looked to Arthur for assurance.

Biting his lip, his small fangs poking into his skin, Arthur nodded.

With no small amount of hesitation Alfred began to rub at the slit, the tips of his fingers sliding inside and coming out slicked with a thick fluid. Determined, he continued his ministrations, pushing his fingers in to the second knuckle.

Arthur leaned back against the stone wall, trying to catch his gasps in his cupped hand. He moaned and blushed, his tongue darting between the gaps of his fingers. "Wait," Arthur said and reached out to grasp Alfred's wrist, pulling his hand away.

Before Alfred could get offended or feel as if he were doing something wrong, the beginnings of an erection slid through the slit. It was pink, ribbed, and looked to be segmented as it slowly pushed out with a little coaxing from Alfred's slick hand.

They both looked at their own bodies and flushed in a violent wave of insecurity.

"It'll work," Alfred said with hope. He pulled his fingers from his stretched entrance, but looking at Arthur's cock it might not have been enough. He didn't want to think about that, however, and he shifted up the length of Arthur's tail, positioning over the Naga's cock and summoning whatever courage he possessed.

Arthur stroked his face, kissed his chin, and mumbled as many comforting words as he could think of against Alfred's ear as he slowly penetrated the blond.

Alfred hissed in slight pain, pausing every few moments to try and adjust to the burning sensation. He didn't realize he was tearing up until Arthur wiped an escaped tear from the corner of his eye.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Alfred sat fully onto Arthur's cock, wincing at the final section of thick, rigid ribbing. "Oh God, yeah. I'll be fine." He breathed in a deep breath through his nose. "Give me a moment?"

Arthur smiled. His face was flushed from stimulation and embarrassment and sweat started to bead on his forehead, but he continued to run his hands across Alfred's body, rubbing and kneading tightened muscles. "Of courssse," he whispered, unable to keep a waver from his voice.

After trying to adjust as much as he thought he could, Alfred planted his feet firmly on the ground and rose, his toes curling. "Oh holy…" he breathed out and pushed back down. Using Arthur's shoulders as a balance, he started to move at a slow pace, choking on moans and cries as the ribbing of Arthur's cock rubbed the muscles of his entrance and his prostate as he went.

Arthur was panting, his breaths hissing as he tried to figure out what to do to help Alfred along, his hands frantically roaming across Alfred's naked boy before he grasped the blond's half-hard cock and began to stroke it into a full erection. "Alfred," Arthur gasped. "Ohssssss…. Alf_red_."

"Hah – oh, woa…. Arthur… hnnm." Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck, pressing his nose against the curve of his collar and picked up his pace.

With a jump, Arthur held Alfred's hips in a tight grip, preventing him from moving. He bowed his head, nibbling at Alfred's shoulder, but not hard enough to puncture the skin with his fangs. "Sssorry," he hissed out as he shuddered violently in Alfred's arms. "I did not expect that to happen."

Alfred blinked and wiped at his sweaty forehead. He felt very sticky and it didn't take much to guess what Arthur was talking about. "Aha… yeah, no that's what was supposed to happen. My intention and all."

"Ssstrange. With othersss of my kind we attach and wait for it happen. When you move like that – it happensss ssso very fassst." He kissed Alfred. "I think I like it."

Alfred hummed. "I'm glad, but…" he trailed off and looked down at his own erection. "Do you think you could return the favor?" he squeaked.

"Oh! Yesss, of course. I jussst… rub it?" Without waiting for an answer Arthur stroked Alfred's cock from base to tip, watching Alfred's face for his reaction to every experimental touch. He ran a finger along the underside, pressed the pad of his thumb against the moistened slit and started the process over.

When Alfred came, it was with a cry and a full body jerk that surprised Arthur. "Oh God," he moaned and snuggled limply against Arthur. "I like it too." He looked to the entrance of the den. "How much longer do we have?" he asked.

"Not long." Arthur carded his fingers through Alfred's hair. "You ssshould dresss if you're ssstill ssset on thisss."

"Yeah, yeah I am. More now than ever." Alfred groaned. "I need to clean up first."

Under the cloak of darkness Arthur dragged Alfred across the rocky alpine and up steep slopes. He did his best to be careful, to avoid prickly plants and sharp rocks that he normally wouldn't be very mindful of, but Arthur knew that the journey already wasn't comfortable for Alfred.

To complete the ruse Alfred remained limp and still, feigning death or unconsciousness. Either one would be fine, he knew, but it was hard not to tense when his ear would get scrapped on the jagged terrain or he would bump his head on a loose stone.

It felt like they traveled forever. When they finally stopped, Arthur rolled Alfred onto his back and stroked his cheek. "I love you," he whispered quickly and slithered away.

Alfred wanted to return the sentiment, but he stopped and remained as still as possible with his heart racing. How long would he have to lay here? Possibly until morning and if that were the case he should try and rest and prepare for what he was about to do.

However, the beat of wings tore him from that idea. Gusts of displaced air blew dust into his face and hair and the sound of something heavy landed by his head.

"Oh ho! This is a lovely surprise it is. A big meal for me. A guard, a guard! How miserable your patrol must have been, ho ho." The bird-beast whistled an excited tune and one of its talons closed around Alfred. "Arthur did well, yes, yes he did. I suppose he can live if he keeps bringing me such good meals, I will."

Alfred's stomach lurched when he was lifted off the ground, dangling from the creature's claws. He took the chance to open his eyes only to spot the ground several yards below him. His hand immediately went to his sword.

Before Arthur had dragged him here he had smeared his blade in the poison Guard Captain Yao had given him. Arthur had been leery of him for a while after discovering that Alfred had had such a volatile weapon with him the entire time, but Alfred had assured him that he had never planned to use it. He still didn't want to, but these were desperate measures in an impossible situation.

Steeling himself Alfred drew his sword and didn't waste a moment. He stabbed blindly upwards into the beast's belly.

Immediately the creature shrieked. Its claws clamped down on Alfred and the black, jagged talons pierced through his armor and shoulders with no hindrance.

"Pest, pest!" the creature screamed, it's brilliantly colored feathers staining red with blood. It flung Alfred to the ground and screeched in rage. "Who knew! Who knew! Never trust a snake! Never, never!" It landed near Alfred, who simply lay on the ground, coughing and sputtering as he tried to catch the breath that had been knocked from him. "I'll kill you! And the snake! Kill you both, I will!"

Alfred unsheathed his dagger, the only weapon he had left, his sword still buried in the bird's gullet. "You won't touch Arthur," he coughed out and brandished his knife. "I'm bringing him justice! Justice to Arthur! Justice to Veronique!"

"Justice? There is no justice! What a pitiable thing to die for, certainly it is! Why die for something that does not exist? Ho ho! There is no justice!" The creature stepped forward and then limped. It suddenly fell into a heap. "No justice!" it cried out as it attempted to struggle to its feet. "No…! What is this weakness?"

"It's justice," Alfred replied and when the creature extended its neck to bite him, he kicked it in its almost human face, listening to it shriek until it became blue and lifeless.

Alfred lay back on the rocks, slowly bleeding out. He sent a silent thank you to the relative of Yao's that had made such a potent and terrifying poison, even as his own lips grew cold from the lack of oxygen and blood. If this was how he was going to die, then he didn't mind. He saved his love, avenged a loved child, and for the first time in his life he did what was right for him. It was utterly freeing. Too bad it was the last time he could ever feel this way.

He closed his weary eyes and mumbled, "I love you too, Arthur."

* * *

Alfred woke up sore with something heavy and familiar wrapped about him. He groaned and blinked, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness around him. "What…?"

And then Arthur was leaning over him, his baby-grass eyes watching him as carefully as ever. "You wake. I feared… feared that you wouldn't."

He tried to sit up but curled in pain against Arthur. "Everything hurts," he whined as his fingers traced the soreness in his shoulders, finding that they were inexpertly stitched and bandaged with ripped clothing. Alfred closed his eyes with a sigh and a smile. "You saved me."

"I thought I wasss too late." Arthur gathered Alfred into his arms, pleased at the amount of warmth the human was giving off. "But Francisss is dead and you are not. I think I'm beginning to believe in thisss jussstice that you alwaysss ssspeak of."

Alfred smiled broadly and cracked open an eye. "Hey Arthur?"

"Hm?"

"You know I love you, right?"

Arthur gave a disbelieving laugh. "I'm not ssstupid," he said. "But yesss, I do, and I love you."

Closing his eyes once again, Alfred hummed in contentment. "And somehow that makes the world right."

- End -

* * *

A/N: And it's finally done! After eight months. :U Thank you everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed, and remembered that this fic existed while I was busy pretending it didn't. You're all lovely. uwu

This started out as a brain-baby between myself and sanguinehero on tumblr, so you should go and give her internet high-fives. :)


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